Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 chip shortage extending to 2013

Chip maker won't meet demands on 28nm chips

Qualcomm, whose Snapdragon processors are found in a wide variety of smartphones, will experience chip shortages that will extend into next year.

Supply issues are being traced back to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), a contract chip maker that produces Qualcomm's widely used 28nm Snapdragon S4 system on a chip.

TSMC told Focus Taiwan that it expects manufacturing to start catching up in 2012's fourth quarter, with the ability to fully satisfy market demand again in 2013.

Shortage spells delays for new devices

Only TSMC's 28nm chip production will be effected by the shortage, which may also impact Nvidia, who also uses the contract manufacturer for its 28nm chips.

Production of smartphones based on the Snapdragon S4 chip will likely slow down with the shortage, effecting handsets like the HTC One X, HTC Evo 4G LTE, and could lead to a rocky start for the Samsung Galaxy S3.